When selecting a design, it’s best to have precise pictures to ship to the design studio. This picture was type of the bottom design and after I bought the quote again to have pave diamonds on the band I needed to rethink as a result of I wasn’t planning on spending $10,000 on a hoop. I used to be aiming extra for $5000 which led to the third possibility circled beneath. 

Initially, I had additionally been considering of doing a extra asymmetrical look utilizing one pear-shaped peridot and one oval-shaped spinel (each August birthstones) to symbolize every of the boys, however upon reviewing I made a decision to maintain them each the identical stones. I don’t personal any peridot rings so I believed it might be extra distinctive to have a inexperienced stone ring. There was fairly a little bit of backwards and forwards and finally, I made a decision on two 0.70ct pear-shaped peridots that may be surrounded by pave diamonds. I selected to have the ring made in 14K white gold vs 18K or platinum to maintain the associated fee down. This wasn’t going to be an on a regular basis ring so I knew that going with white gold would not be an excessive amount of of a difficulty when it got here to the rhodium coming off (when the rhodium wears off, white gold jewellery appears to be like yellowish). Platinum would have been round $1000 extra and since I went with a predominantly metal-showing design, as platinum wears, it will get a little bit of a brushed end (white gold stays shiny) which I didn’t need. 

As soon as I made a decision on a design, the ring took about 6 weeks to make plus a couple of further weeks to have an appraisal carried out for insurance coverage functions. I began the design course of in September and picked up my ring and paperwork in November. The large query was – did I LIKE the way it turned out? I did, however for instance it was undoubtedly completely different than what I anticipated. The very first thing that caught my consideration was how a lot metallic there was within the “twist” portion. I used to be not anticipating it to be fairly as thick as this, nevertheless it sort of made the ring look tremendous fancy particularly as a result of the peridots seemed so giant! I’m within the stage of my life the place greater is healthier so it sort of labored out, however this is able to not have been one thing I might have preferred 10 years in the past. It did not take lengthy for me to make peace with the imaginative and prescient I had in my head and what was on my hand, however that is type of what I imply in relation to holding an open thoughts. 

I solely actually put on my ring at work (by no means at house) and take it off every time we’re opening or closing the shop as firstly, peridots usually are not a tough stone so they’ll CHIP! Secondly, After about two weeks of getting this ring, I wore it whereas opening the shop and ended up catching it on the aspect of a wall as a result of I wasn’t use to having a chunkier ring and ended up dislocating one of many pears AND chipping the culet of the stone (backside of stone)…I had it repaired and it seemed model new, however as somebody who has solely had one jewellery restore in her 16 years of working at Birks, this was a get up name! Now, I’m very cautious and keep in mind to maneuver slowly when I’ve it on since you do not even notice how energetic you’re together with your fingers till issues like this occur and it would not take a lot! I give this recommendation to all purchasers, particularly almost about their engagement rings, as these needs to be taken off at house and never worn 24/7 and I ought to have listened to myself!

Would I do Birks Bespoke once more? I might, however possibly not for a hoop. I used to be contemplating doing it once more for earrings or an insect or cat brooch, however I would wish to consider it extra. All design studios are distinctive and have a sure fashion too so undoubtedly do your analysis, however general in case you are open to the method and outcomes and have a very good SA to information you, it may be a very enjoyable course of. I might additionally attempt to have a funds in thoughts particularly in case you are designing one thing with stones as there could be ranges based mostly on color depth for colored stones i.e. there are sapphires which might be darker (cheaper) and sapphires which might be the color of the ocean (could be a lot $$$). I’ve labored with purchasers on some spectacular items and it’s so satisfying seeing their faces gentle up once they see the ultimate product!